DE10024007B4 - Method for informative support of a motor vehicle driver by means of a vehicle multimedia system - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for the informative support of a motor vehicle driver by means of a vehicle multimedia system (1), comprising a vehicle computer (4), an external server (2) and external networks and home computers (3) connected to the server (2), wherein the server (2) and the vehicle computer (4) are bidirectionally-communicable via a wireless communication system, comprising the following method steps: a) editing driver preferences on the home computer (3), b) transmitting the data from the home computer (3) to the server (2), c Transmitting the data from the server (2) to the vehicle computer (4), d) querying additional information for points of interest by the motor vehicle driver or automatically transmitting subscribable services by the server (2) according to the driver preference, e) transmitting the query and motor vehicle condition data such as the vehicle position to the server (2), f) compilation of the desired information by the Ser ver (2) with access to databases and other sources of information taking into account the driver preferences and g) transferring the compilation from the server (2) to the vehicle computer (4), wherein the motor vehicle driver from the compilation, selected locations are adopted in the navigation system, and wherein automatic booking or ordering for selected locations or events.

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle multimedia system.

The comfort and the accessibility in a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, are becoming increasingly important, so that a variety of measures have been taken to improve them.

On the one hand, modern motor vehicles are increasingly being developed with navigation systems which assist the motor vehicle driver in finding a suitable route, so that the motor vehicle driver can find his way, for example, even in foreign cities. In addition, a variety of in-vehicle comfort systems such as air conditioning, audio systems, electrically adjustable seats, mirrors and the like.

Furthermore, car phone systems have long been known These car phone systems are designed, for example, as GSM systems and are used in addition to the realization of a conventional telephone connection as an emergency call system. For this purpose, the GSM system is integrated into a crash or pre-crash sensor system, so that automatically in an accident an emergency number is dialed and the current position of the motor vehicle is transmitted.

From the US 5,7122625 For example, a driver recognition system is known which receives the emitted signals of a transmitter, for example in the form of a key, checks the access authorization by comparison with a code and automatically makes presets for the seat and mirror assigned to the code when the check is positive.

From the JP 93 19 300 A a navigation device for a motor vehicle is known, which is formed with a GPS receiver. The navigation device is designed so that additional functions in the area of the current position can be called up via an Internet access.

From the DE 196 40 735 A1 a telematics device is known in which a car radio with an RDS module, a radiotelephone, a positioning and navigation system are arranged in a housing. The housing is designed so that it can be installed in the standard shaft on the dashboard of a motor vehicle. With the help of the telematics device both generally relevant information via the car radio, as well as individual information can be received via the GSM module. Furthermore, data can be sent to the control center, for example via the vehicle position, a destination request or an emergency call. The center calculates one or more destination routes and sends them back to the telematics device. In the case of an accident or a car breakdown, a corresponding emergency call is sent and help is called in. As a further telematics services an extended theft protection for the motor vehicle, hotel bookings, etc. are provided.

From the DE 298 12 320 U1 a device for using a navigation system in a vehicle is known, wherein a computer is provided with conventional input means, a display and a remote data transmission interface and a memory spatially separated from the computer, to the data entered by the user of the navigation system on the computer in the route programming be transferred via remote data transmission for intermediate storage. Further, a mobile radio system is provided in the vehicle, via which the navigation system, the data cached outside the vehicle data can be fed wirelessly. Controls are provided on the navigation system, with the help of which the user of the navigation system can initiate the transmission of data stored outside the vehicle from the external memory to the vehicle. The external memory is, for example, a service provider operating in a data network who makes the route planning software available online or on a storage medium. Furthermore, it is proposed that the service provider provide additional information such as the location of hotels, restaurants or leisure facilities, which are taken into account in the route planning.

The DE 196 46 954 A1 concerns a method of controlling a fleet of land and / or water vehicles. According to one embodiment, a client-oriented data management is provided at a central location in a communication network. A user needs at his operating site a computer which is connected to a computer center via the Internet, as well as in a suitable software access program. Individual applications of a service package have a modular structure. The user can call any application individually or linked to other applications as needed. For the use of some applications, a suitable remote station in the form of a vehicle-side terminal is required.

The EP 0 684 592 A2 relates to an electronic diary for separately inputting a destination information for a mobile navigation device, which is mounted in a motor vehicle. Use of the journal allows the navigation device to set up the route to follow to the destination before the user reaches the motor vehicle.

The WO 99/09 374 A2 relates to a vehicle information system comprising a system in the vehicle and a central server system. The server system calculates a route to a destination and transmits the calculated route to the system in the vehicle. The system in the vehicle guides the user along the route. The server system may also serve as a gateway for external information systems. These external systems provide information used by the server system or provide information that is forwarded directly to the system in the vehicle.

The WO 99/31 913 A1 relates to a telecommunication system for instructing a device coupled to an electrical system of a vehicle to activate or deactivate specific electrical devices using a cellular network. This can be achieved using a mobile terminal.

The DE 196 17 859 A1 relates to a device with which one can generate a logbook for a motor vehicle. The device is able to automatically record all vehicle data necessary to generate a logbook and later, using a PC and other inputs, to generate a complete logbook.

The DE 44 03 712 A1 relates to an on-board computer for motor vehicles. The on-board computer supports various functions with a display, a control and a memory unit. These are characterized by an interface via which there is a detachable connection to the electrical system, and by means for loading location-related data into the memory unit before the connection is disconnected. Due to the location-based data, the on-board computer outside the motor vehicle can be used in a particularly ingenious way.

The invention is therefore based on the technical problem of improving the possibilities of use of the existing systems and to expand.

The solution of the technical problem results from the features of claim 1.

By connecting a home computer via a server to the vehicle computer, the motor vehicle driver at rest before driving addresses, appointments, driver preferences, online services and so on edit and transfer via the server to the vehicle computer. As a result, the amount of data to be transmitted can be significantly reduced, so that data transmission while driving the motor vehicle driver is not overwhelmed, but that on the driver preferences already take place a preselection. Further, the vehicle multimedia system enables route planning from the home computer and remote diagnosis of the motor vehicle for service and control purposes. In addition, vehicle components such as a parking heater can be controlled from the home computer. Likewise, an electronic logbook can be realized whose data is automatically transmitted to the home computer, where they are available for further processing such as for expense reports. Furthermore, the use of a central server allows the data to be edited and updated centrally. This avoids conflicts with similar databases that are processed independently on different devices such as home computers or vehicle computers. In addition, it can be realized that the data is in a consistent format and third-party users can access at least part of the data. Due to a uniform data format, it is also possible to edit them via a browser. The term home computer is generally understood to mean all terminals suitable for data transmission, such as, for example, personal computers, mobile telephones or personal digit assistants (PDAs). The term server generally includes an external service provider.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment. The figures show:

1 a schematic block diagram of a vehicle multimedia system and

2 a flow chart of the appointment processing.

In the 1 is the schematic basic structure of the vehicle multimedia system 1 shown as a block diagram. The vehicle multimedia system includes a server 2 with a browser, in particular a so-called microbrowser, a home computer 3 and a vehicle computer 4 , The home computer 3 is bidirectional with the server 2 connected, as a transmission medium, for example, the ISDN landline. The vehicle computer 4 is also bidirectional with the server 2 connected, in which case a mobile network (GSM, GPRS, UMTS, EDGE) is preferably used as the transmission medium. The server 2 In addition, with online services 5 , Push channels 6 , Internet pages 7 and mailing lists 8th be connected or can access them, the lists are only examples. Furthermore, the vehicle computer 4 with an interface for communication with an example integrated in a key transponder 9 educated.

On the server 2 are the personal data of a motor vehicle driver, vehicle data and information of subscribable data services, such as mailing lists and push channels. The motor vehicle driver can access this data online from the home computer 3 or the vehicle computer 4 access and change. It is also possible to edit the data offline and then with the server 2 to synchronize. If the motor vehicle driver approaches the transponder, the motor vehicle driver can be identified as part of a known access authorization check. The vehicle computer 4 then invokes a driving profile associated with the motor vehicle driver which includes, for example, adjustments to the seat, mirrors, steering wheel, air conditioning and the like. This data can be pre-sent from the server 2 to the vehicle computer 4 or have been sent online from the server after identification 2 loaded. The synchronization of the data from the server with the vehicle computer 4 can be designed differently. Depending on the configuration, synchronization can be carried out at low online tariffs at night, when an online key is pressed, at time intervals that can be entered, or when input via the home computer 3 respectively. So that a synchronization can be done even when the vehicle is parked, the vehicle computer 4 trained with a secured against abuse wake-up function. About the wake-up function, the access or synchronization can be limited so that, for example, only selected configurations are changeable or only status messages of the motor vehicle can be retrieved. Thus, for example, the motor vehicle driver check from his home computer, if all the windows of the motor vehicle are closed or if even a lighting is turned on. From his home computer 3 If necessary, the driver of the motor vehicle can then close the window or switch off the lighting. Furthermore, it is possible that the motor vehicle driver turns on the heater from his home computer, so that this already finds a preheated motor vehicle when driving. This is particularly advantageous when the journey times fluctuate, so that timer programming exiting the heater. It can further be provided that for individual functions a direct communication between the home computer and the vehicle computer is possible. In addition to the auxiliary heater, this also includes the position inquiry of the motor vehicle. The communication via server is preferred for applications such as fleet management. On the other hand, if the motor vehicle driver searches his vehicle on a large parking lot or in a side street, direct communication is preferred. If the mobile network is also used to cancel an automatic or manual emergency call, the emergency call has the highest priority and other data transfers are interrupted.

In the 2 Fig. 3 is a flow chart for exemplary data transfer and data reuse. First, addresses, appointments and the like are edited on the home computer or home PC. In addition, online services, push channels, Internet pages, mailing lists are set up or selected on the home PC. Subsequently, the current data present on the home PC are transmitted to the server. Depending on the embodiment, the data is then transmitted from the server to the vehicle computer. After the identification of the motor vehicle driver described above, a check-up takes place, if necessary, if certain actions must be performed. For this purpose, it is first checked whether an appointment is pending. If there is no appointment, the motor vehicle driver is asked acoustically or visually whether navigation to a location is desired. If this is denied, the query program is stopped. Otherwise the name and place will be entered. Likewise, in the case of an upcoming appointment, you are asked if you want to navigate. If the address does not exist, the address is requested. If the address is present or entered, it will be transferred to the navigation system and a route to the destination calculated. The navigation system can then estimate the estimated travel time. If the appointment is not expected to be punctually complied with, the driver of the motor vehicle will be asked if the delay should be announced by telephone, email or fax.

Another possibility is to provide the motor vehicle driver with information tailored to him at a point of interest. This will now be explained in more detail using the example of a restaurant choice. In the edited on the home PC driver preferences, the motor vehicle driver can specify a profile. This includes, for example, the weighting and Boolean linking of the preferred restaurants, also taking into account times of the day. An example of such a profile would be: "Preferably Italian, if not Italian, then French or Russian, but not Japanese.". Furthermore, the profile can indicate up to which distance from the current position restaurants should be taken into account or how many restaurants should be displayed at the most. This profile already ensures that the motor vehicle driver is offered only a limited amount of relevant information in order to speed up the decision-making process. The driver identification and the location are transmitted to the server. The sensor then compiles a suggestion list based on its existing database (possibly by accessing other databases) and the profile, which is then transmitted from the server to the vehicle computer. After being selected by the motor vehicle driver, the address of the selected restaurant is then read into the navigation system and the route guidance is started there. Upon request, additional, detailed information such as opening hours, days off, menu, image of the restaurant will be delivered. Of course, opening hours and days off can also be taken into account during the selection process. An automatic table order is possible.

Another possibility of the system is to plan a route on the home computer and to record this planned route via the server to the vehicle computer in the navigation system. The route planning preferably takes place online with the aid of a route planning program that can be operated via a conventional Internet browser and works on the server. Maps and route information are transmitted from the server via HTML to the home computer. The planned route is then stored on the server to a format compatible with the navigation system and transmitted to the vehicle computer. When driving down the route, the point of interest function can then be used and service information can be output at selected points according to driver-specific criteria.

In addition, it is possible to import information services or subscribable data services according to the driver preferences. For example, the motor vehicle driver receives information agreed by a content provider by e-mail or as a push client, for example, stock exchange reports. When defined situations occur, such as, for example, "tank filling amounts to only 10 l", vehicle data such as vehicle position and average consumption are transmitted from the vehicle computer to the server with associated service. This service then provides appropriate information to suit the situation, such as the nearest gas station. Furthermore, the motor vehicle driver can retrieve information such as "weather at the destination" from an installed subscription service upon request.

Next there is the possibility to realize an electronic logbook. For this purpose, a control element is assigned to the vehicle computer, by means of which the logbook can be activated or deactivated. The logbook relevant data such as time, place, detected motor vehicle driver and the like are detected by the vehicle computer and transmitted to the server. It is further provided that the motor vehicle driver can enter additional information such as the occasion of the trip in the vehicle computer, which are also transmitted to the server. Depending on the requirements of the logbook fine continuous each time and place involving transmission from the vehicle computer to the server can be done. Likewise, the end of the journey is transmitted to the server. The server then transfers the data to the home computer, where it is archived or available for further processing.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Vehicle multimedia system

2

server

3

home computer

4

vehicle computer

5

Online services

6

Push-Channels

7

Internet sites

8th

Mailing Lists

9

transponder

Claims (1)

Method for informative support of a motor vehicle driver by means of a vehicle multimedia system ( 1 ) comprising a vehicle computer ( 4 ), an external server ( 2 ) and with the server ( 2 ) connected external networks and home computers ( 3 ), whereby the server ( 2 ) and the vehicle computer ( 4 ) are bidirectionally-communicable via a wireless communication system, comprising the following method steps: a) editing of driver preferences on the home computer ( 3 ), b) transferring the data from the home computer ( 3 ) on the server ( 2 ), c) transfer the data from the server ( 2 ) to the vehicle computer ( 4 ), d) retrieving additional information for points of interest by the motor vehicle driver or automatic transmission of subscribable services by the server ( 2 ) according to the driver preference, e) transmitting the query and motor vehicle condition data such as the vehicle position to the server ( 2 f) Compilation of the desired information by the server ( 2 ) accessing databases and other sources of information taking into account the driver preferences and g) transferring the compilation from the server ( 2 ) to the vehicle computer ( 4 ), wherein the motor vehicle driver from the compilation, selected locations are adopted in the navigation system, and wherein for selected locations or events automatic booking or ordering measures are performed.

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